Now in its second year, this award acknowledges the growing creativity within New Zealand’s dessert scene and is a category that flies pretty much under the radar. Our 2023 Pastry Chef of the Year has a Michelin- starred background, having worked with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to gain two stars in Hong Kong, and one star each for the Mandarin Oriental and the Four Seasons in London. These days, executive pastry chef Lisa Crowe (pictured above) enjoys a multi-faceted role, working with a huge team to deliver exquisite pastries and desserts for the hungry hordes at SkyCity Auckland. Lisa is a master pâtissière, who uses her extensive experience and outstanding techniques and applications to change the pastry game as we know it. Along the way she is training our future pastry chefs to build confidence and skills with great culinary flair.